“Capital Things to Do,” Friend, May 1994, 28
Exploring:
Capital Things to Do
Perhaps you’ve seen all the historical and governmental sites in the capital of the United States and are wondering if there are other things there for kids to do. The answer is yes, Yes, YES!
For instance, no one should miss the Washington Temple and Visitors’ Center with its beautiful 8′ (2.4 m) statue of Christ, and the films and the three-part revolving diorama that tell about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The temple is a stunning sight in its hillside location, and it attracts visitors from all over the world and gives them the opportunity to learn about the true Church of Jesus Christ.
Then you’ll want to go to the Mall, where you can visit nine of the thirteen buildings of the Smithsonian Institution, founded by James Smithson, a wealthy British scientist who willed his entire fortune to this project in a country where he had never been. His tomb lies in the Castle, the first of the buildings. Other buildings house museums of American history, natural history, and air and space; art galleries, which include works from the Orient, the Near East, India, and Africa, and Whistler’s famous Peacock Room; and several theaters, including a special children’s theater.
Vendors sell all kinds of refreshments along the Mall. You can sit and rest on shaded benches and watch the mounted police officers who patrol it, or you can study “Uncle Beazley,” the life-size model of a triceratops that faces the natural history museum.
Away from the Mall, but all within a few hours drive of it, are lots of museums. One has nautical relics, Indian artifacts, and even a replica of a vanished town; others have holography exhibits or streetcars to ride. And there are caves to explore, harbor cruises to take, interesting places to shop, and sports to either watch or participate in: tennis, skiing, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, rugby, cricket, polo, baseball, fishing, golf, horseback riding, swimming, ice skating.